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(No'ModeL) 2 SheetsSheet 1. A. S. FITCH. MAGNETO ELECTRIC MACHINE. No.410,965. Patented Sept. 10, 1889.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. S. PITCH.

MAGNETO ELECTRIC MACHINE. No. 410,965. Patented Sept. 10, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARDEN S. FITCH, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

MAGNETO-ELECTRIC MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,965, datedSeptember 10, 1889.

Application filed June 20, 1889. Serial No- 3l4,950. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARDEN S. FITCH, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Magneto-Electric Machines, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of magneto-electric machines adaptedto develop an electric current for firing fuses in blasting operationsand similar purposes; and my invention consists in the combination, in amagneto-electric machine of this class, with a rack-bar, which actuatesthe mechanism which rotates the rotary armature by a single movement inone direction, of a circuitcontroller carried by and having concurrentand similar movement with said rack-bar and adapted to maintain thedescribed circuits in said machine in the condition specified during themovement of the parts to rotate the armature, and to establishconnection between said circuits at the conclusion of said movement, asand for the purpose hereinafter set forth; and my invention alsoconsists in the combination, with said rack-bar carrying saidcircuit-controller, of a gear engaging a pinion fixed on the arbor oftherotary armature and a clutch-pinion 011 the gear-shaft and engagingsaid rack-bar, with its clutch adapted to engage and rotate said gear inone direction only, substantially as and for the purpose specified,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a magnetoelectric machine containing myinvention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 areside views in detail of the operating rack-bar with thecircuit-controller carried thereby, and respectively showing it at itslimit of movement upward and downward in the operation of the machine.

M is the electro-magnet, and N is the rotary armature working betweenthe suitablyrecessed inner faces of the enlarged ends of poles on m ofsaid magnet. The armature has the arbor n, journaled in brackets m mattached to the magnetpoles. The armature is of the usual constructionin machines of this class, and has a commutator N of wellknown form onits arbor n. The necessary connections are established between therespective com mutator-plates and the terminals of the armature-coilsand between the commutator-springs and one of the coil-terminals of eachleg of the magnet.

A is a rack-bar capable of reciprocatory movement in the machine.

B is a gear journaled on a shaft 1), which maybe fixed on a frame-pieceb, secured to and depending from the bracket m on the magnet-poles, asshown. The gearB engages a pinion m, which is fixed on the arbor of thearmature.

B is a clutch-pinion journaled on the gearshaft and adapted to beengaged by the rackbar A. The clutch is adapted to engage the gear so asto rotate it in one direction only namely, in the direction to effectthe rotation of the armature,and for this purpose a ratchet, 11 fixed onthe pinion, and a pawl b pivoted on the gear and adapted to engage saidratchet, as shown, constitute a preferable form of clutch. A spring 1)may serve to hold the pawl to engagement with said ratchet. It isapparent that when the rack-bar is drawn upward the pinion B will alonebe rotated thereby, the pawls Z) riding the ratchet b and that when thebar is thrust downward such single movement thereof will operate torotate the gear 13, and hence the armature N, thereby effecting thedevelopment of the electric current in the machine.

Heretofore in machines of this class, in which a rack-bar has beenemployed as the armature-operating device, said bar has engaged directlya pinion running loose on the armature-arbor and provided with a clutchfast on the arbor and adapted to engage the pinion, so as to effect therotation of the armature in one direction only; but such constructionhas been found objectionable, for the reason that the arbor-pinion,beingof necessity comparatively small and loose on the arbor, is exceedinglyliable to fracture or be otherwise injured and rendered useless by thedirect engagement of the bar, and also because the bar itself, in orderto give-to the pinion in its downward thrust the requisite number ofrevolutions for the cifective development of electricity by thearmature, has to be of considerable length, and, in fact, to be ofgreater length than the height of the magtion of the armature.

net and its armature, thus necessitating the employment of a long andbulky inclosingcase.

It is evident that in the construction I have described the pinion itmay be made integral with the arbor n, and hence have augmented strengthand durability, and that being driven by engagement with the gear 13said pinion will be subjected to less strain in the operation of themachine than if in direct engagement with a rectilinear rack-bar; also,that by the employment of the said gear B, I am enabled to so slfortenthe rack bar, while still effecting the requisite rotation of thearmature, as to reduce the bulk or size of the inclosing-case,'as shown,to substantially the dimensions of the magnet and its attachments. Themachine in the form described may thus be more economically constructedand be produced in a shape more convenient for transport, than when therack-bar alone is employed in direct engagement with a pinion on thearmature-arbor.

At 01 d are shown spring-terminals, preferably mounted on an insulatedsupport D, which may be held by a bracket D, secured to the top of themagnet-poles, as shown, so as to be in the upper end of theinclosingcase of the machine, as shown. To the terminals d d extend,respectively, the coil-terminals m m of the magnet, which are oppositeones to those extendin from the magnet to the armature. Upon the \sideof the bar A, I constitute the bearing-faces a and a and the terminals dd are so located relatively to the bar as to bear upon and traverse saidfaces a a respectively, during the reciprocatory movements of the bar.

At 6 e are shown spring-terminals, preferably mounted on said support D,and desirably between the terminals d cl thereon. From these terminals ec extend, respectively, the wires which constitute the working-circuitof the machine-namely, the circuit in which are the fuses to beignited-and such wires are shown in preferable arrangement at e 6running to binding-posts E E on the exterior of the inclosing-case, fromwhich the main-line wires 6 e detachably extend. The terminals (2 (2project toward the bar A, as shown, and are insulated from said bar attheir contact ends, preferably by means of a channel a formed in andextending longitudinally of the bar between the faces a a thereon, asshown, and which channel is thus adapted to be traversed by theterminals 6 e, which project into it without contact with the bar duringthe reciprocatory movements of the bar.

At a c are shown metal plates mounted upon and insulated from theraclcbar and from each other, and adapted in location upon the bar, atthe upper end thereof, to engage, respectively, the terminals (Z c and de when the bar has reached the conclusion of its reciprocation in thedirection to eifect tho rota- The downward thrust of the bar being thereciprocatory movement tions, and terminals cl d and the other comprisesthe working-circuit and its terminals 0 e e, and that the rack-barcarries and in part itself constitutes a circuit-controller, which iscommon to both circuits and which has movement concurrent with that ofthe bar, and which, by the engagementand traverse of the faces a a? bythe said terminals of the magnet-circuit during the reciprocation of thebar, maintains said magnet-circuit closed, and by the traverse of thechannel a by the said terminals of the working-circuit during saidreciprocation maintains said workingcircuit open or broken, and which bythe engagement of the plates a a respectively, by

the terminals of similar polarity of both circuits at the conclusion ofthe reciprocation of the bar in the direction to effect the rotation ofthe armature establishes connection between said circuits, wherebyduring the reciprocation of the bar in the direction to rotate thearmature the electricity thus developed is wholly accumulated in themagnetcircuit and none passes to the working-circuit, and whereby at theconclusion of said reciprocation of said bar the entire accumulatedcurrent is automatically and instantly transferred from themagnet-circuit to the working-circuit.

It will be found desirable to form the plates or and a with theextensions a a respectively adapted to enable the terminals 01 d of themagnet-circuit to establish connection with their respective platesbefore leaving the faces a a on the bar, and also that the terminals 6 eof the working-circuit should be of such proportions and so locatedrelatively to the terminals cl d and said plates a a as to enable saidterminals e e to engage said plates respectively just as the terminals(1 d wholly escape from the faces a (L as thereby no actual breaking ofthe electric current ensues, but a shunting or switching of said currentfrom the magnet-circuit to the working-circuit is eifected.

I am aware that a reciprocatory rack-bar has been heretofore employed ina magnetoelectric machine as the rotary armature-operating device, andhence I make no claim herein, broadly, thereto for such purpose.

I do not claim herein, broadly, the combination, with the rotaryarmature-operating device in a magneto-electric machine having the saidtwo separate circuits, of a circuit-controller common to both circuitsand adapted to have movement concurrent with that of said operatingdevice, and to maintain the magnet-oil, uit closed and theworking-circuit open during the single movement of said operating devicein tne direction to rotate the armature, and to establish connectionbetween said circuits, at the conclusion of said movement of saidoperating device, as the same is made t 1 0 cubj ect-matter of claims ina separate application for patent filed by me simultaneously herewith,Serial No. 314,949; but I limit my claim herein, in this regard, to thecombin ation, wit-h the described reciprocatory rack-bar, of acircuit-controller, substantially as set forth.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a magneto-electric machine having one circuit comprising themagnet, rotary armature, and connections and another and separatecircuit comprising the working-circuit, the combination, with areciprocatory rack-bar, which operates by a single movement in onedirection to rotate said armature, of a circuitrcontroller carried byand adapted to move concurrently with said rack-bar and fixed contactsconnected with said circuits and in electrical relations with saidcircuitcontroller to maintain said circuits, respectively, closed andopen during the reciprocation of said bar, and to establish connectionbetween said circuits at the conclusion of the movement of said bar inthe direction to effect the rotation of the armature, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

2. In a magneto-electric machine having one circuit comprising themagnetarmature and connections and terminals d cl and another andseparate circuit comprising the working-circuit and terminals e c,thecombination, with the armature, of the reci n'ocatory rack-bar A,adapted by a single movement in one direction to eifect the rotation ofsaid armature, and provided with the longitudinal faces a a forengagement and traverse by said terminals (Z d, and the longitudinalchannel a for traverse by said terminals e e during the reciprocation 0fthe bar, together with the described plates a and a, located on said barto engage, respectively, the said terminals of similar polarity of bothsaid circuits at the conclusion of said movement of said bar to effectthe rotation of said armature, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

ARDEN S. FITCH.

\Vitnesses: A. G. N. VERMILYA,

J OHN THoRPE.

